Among audience rating survey methods used in terrestrial broadcasting, cable broadcasting, and satellite broadcasting, there are diary type surveys in which questionnaires are distributed and people are requested to fill in the questionnaires, interview surveys by interviewers visiting or calling interviewees, meter surveys in which machines automatically record the ratings, and surveys using people meters.
The diary type survey is to release printed booklets to viewers and ask the viewers to write records of their exposures to media, which is advantageous in that it is cheapest than any other survey methods but has limitations in depending on memories of the viewers. For example, in a case where viewers remember wrong channel numbers or confuse programs and channels, reliability of audience rating survey becomes degraded. In addition, it is also disadvantageous in taking relatively more time to collect and process data.
The interview survey is to survey audience ratings through visiting or phone interviews. Compared to the diary type survey in which audience rating records are written by the viewers themselves, the interview survey has merits in being able to collect more reliable data. However, such a method has limitations such as human memory limitations, non-cooperation by interviewees, or more survey costs.
The survey method using the people meter is performed with a certain number of households selected according to a sampling method called as panel like a meter survey method. A device called as people meter is installed in the TV in each household, and a remote controller-type mechanical device is checked by a user's intervention. The people meter method is currently the most widely used audience rating survey method around the world.
However, since the audience rating survey method using the people meter is performed by installing the people meter devices in the sampled panelist households and with cooperation by users, the method has inaccuracy due to the limited number of the sampling to panelist households and is not possibly performed in real-time. In addition, although the people meter method is somewhat accurate compared to other methods, installation of the people meter devices is complicated and costly, and the method essentially requires continuous and devoted cooperation by panelists. Furthermore, the resultant audience ratings vary greatly according to the number of panelist distributions and survey methods thereof.
On the other hand, as the broadcasting techniques have been recently developed, cable TV or Internet Protocol TV (IPTV) broadcasting are being actively developed in addition to the traditional terrestrial broadcasting, satellite broadcasting or the like. In particular, the IPTV is to provide multimedia services such as TV, video, audio, document, graphic and data services through an IP network in which quality, security, and reliability are ensured, and is a broadcasting field in which explosive growth is expected in the future.
In such a new environment, a new audience rating survey apparatus and system are necessary which performs an audience rating survey more accurately and conveniently.